Marriage of Inconvenience
by Erin Salvatore
Summary: AU/AH. Damon and Elena, two executives from rival companies, must marry in order to secure a merger and remain married for six months. What will happen when they fall for each other in the interim?
1. Chapter 1

**Marriage of Inconvenience**

**by Erin Salvatore**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: The idea for this new story came to me the other day and I wanted to go through with it. It's a Delena AU/AH, only it's a little different than the ones I usually do. The plot centers around Damon and Elena, two executives from rival companies. They can't stand each other, but they must marry to secure a merger between their companies and stay together for six months until the merger is finalized. However, will they learn to love each other in the interim?**_

**Chapter 1**

"Damon, you didn't have to agree to this. We can always handle the merger in a different way."

Damon Salvatore listened to the concerned words of his brother, Stefan, as he straightened the bow tie that went with his tux. In a way, he was right. He didn't have to agree to this, but according the terms, the only way the merger would work was if Damon married the CEO of Gilbert Pharmaceuticals, which so happened to be Elena Gilbert, who just recently inherited the company after her parents died. Damon had been hesitant about the whole thing, considering the fact that he and Elena had been enemies since they met last month at a board meeting.

"Relax, Stefan," he replied. "This is only temporary. Once the merger is complete, she'll go her way, I'll go mine, and we'll never have to deal with her again."

"I still don't like it," said Stefan. "The terms say that you two have to stay married for six months. How the hell are you going to do that?"

"You know me, brother," said Damon. "I always find a way to make things work. The mansion has guest rooms, right? She can stay in one of them for the six months that we're going to be 'married.' And I'm pretty sure she'll have her suitcase with her so that she can leave as soon as the six months are up."

"I hope you're right, Damon," said Stefan. "I don't want this to blow up in your face."

Damon was about to reply when his twin sister, Natalia, walked in. "Guys, the limo is here to take us to the church. We better hurry, the ceremony is in less than an hour."

Damon nodded. "Right. Thanks, Talia."

"Hey, even though I think this is bullshit, I want to get this over with."

Damon nodded again and walked out of the room, followed closely by Stefan and Natalia. The event was no doubt going to attract the media, since both Salvatore Industries and Gilbert Pharmaceuticals were well-known companies, especially when the announcement of the merger hit the presses.

_Meanwhile..._

Elena Gilbert looked at her reflection in the mirror and wanted to puke. Why the hell did she have to go through with this anyway? Just so the press could have something to print? She didn't want to go through with the merger in the first place, since she couldn't stand being in the same room with Damon Salvatore, or anyone associated with Salvatore Industries for that matter.

She looked at her best friend and maid of honor, Caroline Forbes, and said, "Can you believe the bullshit I have to go through to keep my company afloat?"

"I know exactly what you mean, Elena," she replied. "But, at least the marriage is only for six months until the merger is complete. Then, you won't have to see Damon ever again."

"Six months of pure hell is more like it," said Elena. "Being forced into marrying a man I hate is torture of the worst kind." She sighed. "I mean, I envy you, Caroline. At least you have a man that you're in love with and will do anything for."

Caroline nodded, because it was true. For the past two years, she had been dating a prominent neurosurgeon, Dr. Klaus Mikaelson, who also happened to be a Gilbert Pharmaceuticals client. Even though he was against the merger, he had come to the wedding because Caroline didn't want to be by herself.

"Elena, don't envy me because of Klaus," she said. "You'll be as happy as me one day. Maybe after this whole bullshit with Damon is over, you can find yourself a guy that will treat you the way Klaus treats me."

"Maybe," said Elena. "I just don't want to be miserable."

"I know, but try to hang in there until the six months are up," said Caroline. "And you know that you can call me, right? Just because you're going to be..."

Caroline never got to finish, because Elena's aunt, Jenna Sommers, came in. "Girls, they're here. The limo pulled up a few minutes ago. We'd better head out to the sanctuary."

Elena slowly nodded at Jenna's words and sighed as she walked toward the door, Caroline grabbing her train and carrying it. God, how she wished her parents could be here right now. Hell, she even wished that her brother, Jeremy hadn't been deployed to Iraq the night before. But, she still had Jenna and Caroline with her, so that made the situation better, even if it didn't make it completely better.

The sanctuary had only a handful of people in the seats, mostly because the plans for the wedding were made at the eleventh hour and this was the best both sides could muster. Plus, the priest was out of town, so they got Klaus' brother, Elijah, to perform the ceremony.

_Guess they found out that Elijah had graduated from the seminary,_ Elena thought. _Though, I can't imagine how pissed Klaus was when he heard about it._

No sooner did she finish that thought than Elena looked toward the seat Klaus was sitting in and noticed a scowl on his face. Oh, he was definitely pissed, and she was pretty sure that Caroline was going to have her work cut out for her later.

When she reached the altar, Elena tried not to look at Damon, even though his blue eyes were hypnotizing. His short, sleek black glistened under the lights, and she tried not to imagine herself naked in his bed while caressing his delicious body, or kissing his lips. _Just ride it out, Elena. It's not like you're really marrying him. This is just so his company can merge with yours._

As the ceremony began, Damon did his best to not look at Elena, but it was difficult, considering just how beautiful she looked in her gown. Her long, dark brown hair was in gentle curls that added to her beauty, and her brown eyes seemed to sparkle in the church's light. She even had a body he imagined himself caressing while they were naked in his bed and having passionate, primal sex, and lips he tried not to imagine kissing and nibbling.

_God, if only this marriage wasn't strictly for business,_ he thought. _I'd show Elena pleasures beyond her wildest dreams. You're such a dumbass, Damon. At the end of the six months, you're going to be kicking yourself._

_**Note: Yeah, this is a different Delena story. Don't worry, though, it will get better as the story progresses, because during the course of the six months, both Damon and Elena are going to struggle with their feelings for each other.**_

_**Reviews are love! Tell me what you think!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Marriage of Inconvenience," Damon and Elena get married so that they can secure a merger between their two companies, Salvatore Industries and Gilbert Pharmaceuticals.**_

_**Thank you for the wonderful reviews so far! I apologize for the delay, the original idea I had for this chapter wasn't working, so I came up with a better one. That being said, let's proceed.**_

_Later..._

Caroline led Klaus into a vacant room she had booked for them, which was easy considering that the hotel the reception was being held in had extra rooms in case anyone wanted to book a room for the night. She did this because she had seen how pissed he was at the ceremony and wanted to cheer him up. As soon as they walked in, Klaus looked around and then at Caroline.

"What are we doing here?"

"Klaus, come on, you know why," she replied. "You need to take your mind off of what's going on downstairs and, as the woman who loves you and will do anything for you, I decided to do something about that."

"I suppose you're right," said Klaus. "I wasn't enjoying myself." He went over to her and pulled her into his arms, kissing her softly. "I'm sorry, darling. It's just that I can't stand the fact that Gilbert Pharmaceuticals, the company I've been loyal to, is being taken over."

Caroline placed her index finger on his lips to shush him. "Shhh. Don't ruin the moment, baby. I'm trying to make you feel better." She then replaced her finger with her lips, moaning against his mouth as their tongues danced against each other.

Klaus returned her kiss, lifting her up bridal style and carrying her over to the bed, laying her down and climbing in with her, running his hands up and down her body as he left her lips, trailing kisses from her jawline to her neck, undoing the back of her dress and slipping it off. Caroline panted as she felt what he was doing and clutched onto his hair with her fingers. Klaus then undid the clasps of her bra, releasing her breasts and kissing them, licking the tender nipples with his tongue. Feeling himself getting hard to the point of pain, he pulled back for a moment and practically tore his tux off before removing Caroline's panties and stockings.

"That's it, Klaus," she said, a moan in her voice as she spoke. "Make love to me. Forget everything else and focus on me."

Klaus smiled at her moaning. "Your wish is my command, my love."

That being said, he drove his throbbing cock into her core, feeling just how hot, wet, and tight she was, thrusting hard and fast into her, focusing all of his energy on her. Everything from earlier faded away and it was just him and Caroline. No merger, nothing.

Caroline arched her back as she felt what he was doing and let out a scream of pleasure, all the love she had for him enveloping them and exploding all around them. She didn't care about anything else in that moment except the man she loved. She then rolled over so that she was on top, riding him just as fast and hard. Klaus moved in time with her gyrations, keeping in sync with her movements. God, how he loved this blonde angel in this bed with him. She was his whole world and he was truly blessed to have her in his life.

_2 Hours Later..._

Caroline sighed as she held Klaus tight under the sheets of the bed. They had spent two hours making love and it was the best two hours of their lives. In fact, they had succeeded in forgetting what happened at the church.

"I love you, Klaus."

Klaus smiled. "I love you too, Caroline." He kissed her softly. "Thank you for helping me."

"I'd do anything for you," said Caroline. "You mean everything to me."

Klaus smiled again. "Marry me."

"What did you say?"

"Marry me, Caroline," said Klaus. "These past two years with you have been the best of my life. I love you and I want to spend my life with you, if you'll have me."

Caroline blinked. Even though this impromptu marriage proposal had thrown her off guard, it was beautiful and she couldn't possibly say no to that. Fresh tears stinging her eyes, she nodded and said, "Klaus Mikaelson, I love you with every beat of my heart. So, yes, I will marry you."

Klaus smiled again and pulled her closer to him, kissing her passionately.

_Elsewhere..._

Elena sighed as she sat at the table in the ball room. She wished that Caroline hadn't left when she did, but given how pissed Klaus was at the ceremony, she wanted to soothe him. She also wished she could run away, forget that this whole thing ever happened. The thing she hated most was the kiss at the altar after Elijah had pronounced them husband and wife. The memory of it made her want to puke even more than having to be here and pretending to enjoy herself:

_Elijah looked at Damon and Elena after they had exchanged the rings, a smile on his face. "By the power invested in me by the state of Virginia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Damon, you may kiss your bride."_

_Damon nodded and pulled her close to him, seeing the look in her eyes. "Just relax, Elena. It's almost over."_

_Not giving her a chance to reply, he kissed her, and Elena tried to pull away, not liking it too much. So, why was part of her secretly liking it anyway?_

"Would you care to dance?"

Elena was brought out of her reverie and turned to see Damon standing there. "Excuse me?"

"I asked you if you wanted to dance," he replied. "This is supposed to be our wedding reception, and it would be rude if we didn't dance. It's tradition for the bride and groom to have a first dance as husband and wife."

"Damon, you're kidding yourself if you think I'm going to dance with you," said Elena. "I don't give a shit if it's tradition. This isn't even a real wedding."

Damon didn't flinch and grabbed her, pulling her out of her chair. "I tried to be nice."

Elena scowled at him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"You're dancing with me if you like it or not," said Damon. "Obviously, the nice approach failed, so I'm trying something different."

Elena tried to pull out of his grip, but Damon didn't let go as he all but dragged her out to the dance floor and pulled her close to him. "One dance isn't going to kill you, Elena. Now, just relax and let the music take over."

When the music for their first dance began to play, which happened to be "All I Need" by Elena's favorite group, Within Temptation, Damon began to move, and Elena followed his movements exactly, pretending that she was enjoying it. She looked into his blue eyes again, trying to ignore the part of her that screamed out in desire for him, but failing miserably.

At the same time, Damon looked into her brown eyes, trying not to groan as his cock responded to her beauty. Shit, he wanted her and he was helpless to control his desire. He also got the feeling Elena was trying to control her desire for him as well. Great, if they had a hard time now, how the hell were they going to handle the six months they were going to be sharing the mansion?

_**Note: Yeah, this chapter was kicking my ass, hence the delay. But, I thought I'd update, throw in a Klaroline scene to make it interesting.**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Marriage of Inconvenience," Klaus and Caroline have a steamy interlude, during which he asks her to marry him, and Damon forces a reluctant Elena to dance with him.**_

_**Thank you for all the wonderful reviews so far! I appreciate all the feedback!**_

_Salvatore Mansion – 2 Weeks Later..._

"What? You and Klaus got engaged? Caroline, tell me you're kidding."

Elena had a bit of a difficult time processing the fact that Caroline had gotten engaged as they spoke on the phone, especially since she was having a hard enough time trying to ignore the fact that she was attracted to Damon, even though she clearly despised him.

"I'm as serious as a heart attack," said Caroline. "Klaus asked me to marry him after we had comfort sex. As surprised as I was by it, I couldn't help but say yes. I know that this is the last thing you expected to hear, but at the same time, I knew that he was going to propose eventually."

Elena shook her head. "No, it's okay, really. I'm happy for you." She sighed. "I just wish this sort of thing didn't come up while this whole bullshit with Damon is still in effect. It's been two weeks and already I want to run."

"How has he been toward you?"

"What?"

"How has he been toward you?" said Caroline. "By that, I mean, has he been an asshole?"

"He is annoying, I'll tell you that," said Elena. "I try to avoid him, but every time I think I'm safe, there he is, hot body and all."

Caroline gasped on the other end. "Oh God, I was afraid of this."

"What? What did I say?"

"You said he has a hot body," said Caroline. "That can only mean one thing. You're attracted to him, Elena. This may be just a business deal marriage, but something tells me that it's going to turn into something you two won't be able to stop."

"Attracted to Damon? Me?" said Elena. "Caroline, you don't know what you're saying. He's slime. There's no way in hell I'd ever be attracted to him. I'm trying to keep my company from going under and you've got sex on the brain."

"Well, I _am_ engaged to a neurosurgeon, if it makes you feel better."

Elena rolled her eyes. "You are so not helping, Caroline."

"Right, sorry," said Caroline. "But, I'm not kidding about you being attracted to Damon. I know that you wish he'd take a long walk off a short pier, but just give it time. You may be trying to avoid it now, but sooner or later, you're going to realize that this is something you can't ignore."

Elena was about to reply when she saw Natalia approaching her and said, "I'll call you back, Caroline. Damon's sister is coming toward me."

After hanging up with Caroline, Elena looked at Natalia. "May I help you with something?"

"Damon wants to see you in his study," said Natalia. "He didn't give any specifics, but he told me that you'd know once you get there." She gave Elena a skeptical look. "Though, the reason behind the audience puzzles me as well. Ever since your 'wedding,' you've been the subject of just about every conversation."

"Why should that puzzle you?" said Elena. "Damon is a grown man, he can talk about whoever he wants."

Natalia didn't answer, just motioned for Elena to follow her. Not sure what this was about, Elena did as she was told and before long, they arrived at Damon's study, where he was on the phone with someone, possibly a Salvatore Industries client, but Elena didn't know or care.

Natalia cleared her throat. "Elena is here for you, Damon."

Damon looked up. "Thank you, Talia. That will be all."

Natalia nodded and, giving Elena one last skeptical look, walked out of the room. Once the other woman was gone, Elena waited somewhat patiently for Damon to get off the phone and her eyes wandered about the room. It was a typical study, with books neatly sorted on their shelves. Most of said books were records dating back to before Damon was born, and some were current.

_Guess he doesn't want to keep the current ones at the office,_ she thought. _But, what the hell do I care? It's not like I'm interested in knowing more about the man I'm supposed to be "married" to or anything._

While Elena was looking around, Damon finished his phone call and looked at her. "I suppose you're wondering why I wanted to see you?"

"Not particularly," she replied, not meeting his eyes, even though part of her wanted to. "But, your sister told me that I'd know once I got here."

Damon saw that she wasn't looking at him. "Elena, look at me. It would help me to know what you're thinking if you looked at me while I'm talking to you."

Elena blinked at that and reluctantly looked at him. "Why should it matter to you what I'm thinking?"

"It matters to me because I want to be able to know you."

Elena blinked again. What the hell was he getting at? "Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Elena," said Damon. "If we're going to get through this, it's important that I know everything about you that I possibly can." _And find out if what I'm feeling is real or just wishful thinking, _his thoughts added.

Elena said nothing, just continued to look. Shit, he looked expectionally sexy today. The black suit he was wearing seemed to hug him in all the right places and against her will, she felt her breasts begin to get heavy and a moisture between her legs, making her imagine him shoving everything off the desk and throwing her on it, kissing her hotly as they practically tore each other's clothes off.

Damon noticed that her breathing was becoming labored and said, "You're thinking about me, aren't you, Elena? You find me desirable, don't you?"

Elena shook her head, bringing herself back to reality. "No, I'm not."

"Bullshit," said Damon. "It's evident in the way you're looking at me. You want me, and you're not allowing yourself to admit it. You may hide behind your contempt for me, but deep down, you want to rip my clothes off and kiss every inch of me."

"Stop it, Damon," said Elena. "You don't know what you're saying."

Damon approached her. "Really? Well, why don't you shut me up then? Prove me wrong." He pulled her into his arms so that their lips were inches apart. "Go ahead. I dare you."

Elena's first instinct was to push him away, tell him to go to hell and kick him in the groin, all in that order. But, she suddenly felt weak, unable to go through with it. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed him. Damon returned the favor instantly, exploring her mouth with his tongue, hungry for her as he ran his hands up and down her body. However, when he stuck his hand under her shirt, Elena pulled away.

"What's the matter?" said Damon, his blue eyes glistening with desire as he looked at her. "Didn't you enjoy what we were doing?"

"Yes, and that's what scared me," said Elena. "I can't do this, Damon."

"You can, just give it time," said Damon. "Don't be afraid, let your desire take you."

He went to kiss her again, but Elena pushed him away from her and quickly left the room before she did something she was going to regret. Damon watched her leave and sighed, wanting to go after her, but told himself that if he did, it wouldn't help his cause.

_You idiot, you pushed too hard, _his mind scolded him. _Do you want to scare her? You can't force her to feel what you feel. If you want to pursue her, do it right and take it slow._

Damon sighed again, knowing that Elena would never fully embrace her desire for him if he pushed too hard. However, he couldn't ignore the fact that he enjoyed their encounter just now and, although it may not seem so, Elena enjoyed it too.

_**Note: There you go, Delena faithful, Chapter 3 is complete! Fear not, our leads will eventually give in. That kiss is only the beginning. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Marriage of Inconvenience," Elena finds out about Caroline's engagement to Klaus, and then is called into an audience with Damon, which results in a steamy kiss between them.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews so far! I know it's been a while since I last updated (the last time being July 6), but I've just come up with a way to up the ante on the drama a bit. That's all I'll reveal. You'll just have to read to find out what I have planned.**_

_Salvatore Mansion – 1 Month Later..._

"You did what?"

Stefan couldn't get his mind around what he had just heard from Damon, especially since he didn't think that such a thing was possible.

"We kissed," said Damon. "I called Elena out on how she felt toward me and we kissed."

"In other words, you forced it on her," said Natalia. "Smooth move, brother, very smooth. I'm sure Elena will _gladly_ return any feelings that you have toward her after this."

Damon shook his head, not appreciating the sarcasm in his sister's voice. "Talia, will you please not talk that way in front of me? This is a very delicate situation we're dealing with here. I have reason to believe that although Elena is hiding behind her contempt for me, deep down, she has an uncontrollable desire for me. I just have to find a way to break through her denial."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "And how are you going to do that, force her to have sex with you?"

Natalia was about to yell at him for his remark, but Damon beat her to it. "Don't you _ever_ say that again. I would never do that to her. I would much sooner castrate myself than take Elena's innocence by force. Have you no shame, Stefan?"

Stefan was about to say something when he felt a seering pain in his head, like someone had taken a hot iron and drove it through his skull. His vision then became blurry and his knees buckled underneath him, causing him to fall to the floor. Damon panicked when he saw his brother fall and ran to him, kneeling before him and lifting his head off the floor.

Gently smacking his face, he said, "Stefan? Come on, don't do this to me!" Looking toward Natalia, he added, "Talia, call 911!"

Natalia nodded and went off to call for an ambulance, leaving Damon to try and revive Stefan, even if his efforts weren't being met with positive results.

_Corporate Headquarters of Gilbert Pharmaceuticals – That Same Moment..._

Elena looked through some files on her desk, not giving a shit if she had already reviewed them a thousand times. She had come to her office to get away from Damon for a while. Ever since the incident in the study, she had been desperately avoiding him like the plague, not wanting to have anything to do with him. She even cursed herself for being so weak in his presence, allowing herself to kiss him, even if it was on a dare. His words to her echoed through her mind like a recording:

"_You're thinking about me, aren't you, Elena? You find me desirable, don't you? You want me, and you're not letting yourself admit it. You may hide behind your contempt for me, but deep down, you want to rip my clothes off and kiss every inch of me. Why don't you shut me up then? Prove me wrong. Go on. I dare you."_

Elena shook her head, trying to discourage herself from thinking about him anymore. Damn him, he was so manipulative. Part of her wanted the merger to be finalized so that she didn't have to deal with him. And yet, there was another part that screamed at her for being in denial about what was going on, and that part was getting more persistent every day, telling her to stop denying what she was feeling and let her desire for Damon take hold of her.

Just then, the door to her office opened and Anna Char, her secretary, rushed in, all in a panic. "Elena, you need to go to the hospital right away."

Elena looked at the other woman, not sure what she was talking about. "What? Go to the hospital? What do you mean?"

"It's Damon's brother, he had a medical emergency," said Anna. "I know that you'd rather not deal with the Salvatores right now, but you should at least go there out of good faith."

Elena wanted to tell Anna no, that she'd rather stay out of it, but something told her that it was probably something very serious if Stefan had to be rushed to the hospital. Sighing, she shook her head, running a hand through her hair.

"All right, I'll go," she said. "But, I'm only going because you insisted on it."

Not giving Anna a chance to reply, Elena walked out of the office, wondering what she could possibly expect when she got to the hospital and why she had been called. Could this be a setup? The only way she'd know for sure was to go to the hospital and make some inquiries.

_Later on..._

When Elena arrived at the hospital, she told the receptionist that she was there on behalf of the Salvatore family and she was directed to the waiting room. When she got there, she saw a woman that looked like her sitting there. What the hell was going on?

Getting closer, she said, "Excuse me, but would you mind telling me who you are and why you're here?"

The other woman looked at her and replied, "I'm Katherine Pierce. I'm here for Stefan."

Elena gave her a quizzical look. "And how do you know Stefan?"

"I'm his girlfriend," said Katherine. "I take it that you're Elena, Damon's wife?"

"Well, not exactly," said Elena. "But, I am living at the Salvatore mansion. My secretary told me that Stefan had a medical emergency and had to be rushed to the hospital. Have you heard anything yet?"

Elena didn't know why she just asked that question, especially since it wasn't her concern to begin with. However, that didn't mean she wasn't curious about what was going on and felt that if Katherine knew anything, she'd tell her what she needed to know.

Katherine shook her head, her dark brown curls bouncing and catching in the light. "No, and I'm really worried. I came as soon as I got the call from Natalia."

Elena was about to answer her when Damon was seen coming toward them. His heart skipped several beats the second his eyes met Elena's. God, he wished he hadn't asked for her to be called, since he knew that she didn't want to be here anyway.

"Hey."

Elena nodded at him. "Hi."

Damon nodded back and looked at Katherine. "Katherine, could you excuse us? I want to speak to Elena in private. I don't think we're going to hear anything about Stefan for a while yet."

"Okay," she replied. "I'll go get some coffee or something." She looked at Elena. "It was nice meeting you, Elena."

Elena didn't reply, just gave her a nod and Katherine walked away, leaving them alone. Once she was gone, Damon looked at Elena again and there was an awkward silence between them as he struggled with what to say. Finally, he sighed and sat down in the chair Katherine had been sitting in before, Elena taking the seat next to it. After a while, he decided to speak.

"This, for us, is a very familiar scene."

Elena blinked. "Stefan has been here before?"

"Many times," said Damon. "He's been plagued with health issues since he was a baby. He was born three and a half months premature and had to be in the NICU. He survived, of course, but that wasn't the end of it. When he was two years old, Stefan was here with a hole in his heart and had to have a heart transplant. Despite the difficulty in finding a compatible match, the transplant was a success. Then, two years later, he became blind in his right eye and..."

He stopped in mid-sentence and looked at Elena. "I'm sorry I'm telling you this, Elena. I don't know why I thought you needed to know."

Elena shook her head. "No, it's okay." She absentmindedly placed her hand on Damon's. "Go on."

Damon was about to continue when he saw the doctor coming toward him. Anxious to know about his brother, he stood up, Elena, following suit a second later.

"How is he?" he said. "How's Stefan? What's wrong with him?"

The doctor sighed. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, Mr. Salvatore, but your brother had an acute brain aneurysm."

Damon gulped. He didn't like the sound of that. "Will he be all right?"

"I won't lie to you, it's not good," said the doctor. "The best option would be to order surgery to repair the damage. You can talk it over with your family, but I'm calling it as I see it."

With that, the doctor walked away. Damon felt helpless and fell to his knees on the floor, his body shaking as his eyes welled up with tears. Elena knelt next to him and grabbed his arm. She didn't know why, she felt the need to be near him right now, let him know that she was there, even if it was reluctant concern on her part.

"Damon, there still might be hope for him," she said, not knowing where the words were coming from or why she was saying them. "I know a good neurosurgeon who can help. Caroline's fiancee, Klaus."

"What makes you so sure he would be willing to do this?" said Damon. "He hates me, remember?"

"I'll explain the situation to him and get him to agree to it," said Elena. "I know that you're not his favorite person at the moment because of the merger, but this is more important than that damn merger, or about the future of our companies."

Then, before she knew what she was doing, Elena put her hands on Damon's face and kissed him softly. Damon returned her kiss, pulling her closer to him. He needed her with something fierce and he didn't know why.

Pulling away, he said, "I...I can't think straight. I need a distraction." He gently brushed Elena's face with his hand. "Help me, Elena. Make the pain go away."

"Damon, I..."

Damon kissed her cheek. "Please, Elena? I need to take my mind off of what happened with Stefan. We don't have to do anything, we can just talk." A tear rolled down his face. "I don't want to be alone."

Elena wanted to protest, but found that she couldn't. Damon seemed so upset over the prognosis the doctor just gave him and while she wanted to call for either Natalia or, hell, even _Katherine_, something told her she couldn't let Damon suffer like this.

Sighing, she said, "All right, I'll distract you."

Hearing her say that, Damon slowly got to his feet. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Elena nodded, getting up off the floor as well. "I'll drive, since you're too upset to be behind the wheel right now. Where did you want to go?"

"I don't care, really," said Damon. "Just as long as it's not here."

"We can go to my family's lake house," said Elena. "It's been vacant for some time now. I used to like going there when I was younger and I thought that maybe it'll be the perfect place to be alone with your thoughts."

Damon forced a smile at that. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Elena nodded. "Shouldn't we tell Natalia and Katherine where we're going?"

Damon shook his head. "I'll call when we get there."

Elena stopped herself from protesting, since it would only fall on deaf ears anyway, and taking Damon's arm again, walked with him out of the hospital and when they got to her car, they climbed in and Elena started the engine, driving off toward the lake house.

_**Note: Yeah, I know that this particular plot twist was pretty evil of me, but I wanted to do something to up the ante on the drama. Don't worry, things will get better, I promise, not only for Stefan, but for Damon and Elena. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Marriage of Inconvience," Stefan is hospitalized with an acute brain aneurysm and a distraught Damon looks to Elena for comfort.**_

_**Thank you for all the reviews! You guys are awesome!**_

_Gilbert Lake House – Later on..._

Elena pulled her car up at the lake house and when she killed the engine, she looked at Damon. He hadn't spoken since they left the hospital and she wondered if bringing him here was a good idea. In that moment, she also found herself empathizing with him, since she would be devastated if anything happened to Jeremy while he was serving in Iraq. Such empathy was making her want to be there for Damon.

Gently placing her hand on his, she said, "Damon, we're here."

Damon looked at her. "Hmmm?" He then looked out the passenger side window. "Oh, yeah, we are." He sighed. "I'm sorry for spacing out like that. I guess this whole thing with Stefan is having a greater effect on me than I realized."

"No need to be sorry," said Elena. "You're concerned about your brother. It's perfectly natural to space out. I know that if anything ever happened to Jeremy, I'd retreat into my head too." She smiled slightly. "Come on, Damon, let's go inside. We've both got phone calls to make."

Damon nodded. "You're right. Those calls aren't going to make themselves."

That being said, he got out of the car and walked toward the front door of the house, Elena watching after him as she got out on her side. It made her heart sink seeing him in this condition and she wondered if he'd ever recover from something like this. Even though she didn't really know the Salvatore that well, she assumed that Damon and his siblings had a close relationship, like she had with Jeremy. Perhaps this trip would help them learn more about each other and possibly ease whatever tension that had been building between them since the start of this whole mess.

Sighing, Elena took out her cell phone and dialed Klaus' number, hoping that he would perform the surgery needed to save Stefan, even if she had to force him to do it. She waited impatiently as she heard each ring until finally, she heard Klaus pick up on his end.

"Hello?"

"Klaus, it's Elena," she replied. "You got a minute? I need to talk to you."

"I suppose I could spare a minute or two," said Klaus. "What's going on?"

"I know that this is the last thing you'd expect me to be calling you about, but it's important," said Elena. "There's something I need you to do for me."

"Really?" said Klaus. "What did you need me to do?"

"Perform brain surgery on Stefan Salvatore."

"Damon Salvatore's brother?" said Klaus. "Elena, why the hell would I ever agree to that?"

"I told Damon that I knew a good neurosurgeon," said Elena. "See, Stefan was just hospitalized for an acute brain aneurysm. Unless he gets operated on, there's a good chance that he won't survive. Klaus, I know you don't exactly like Damon because of everything that's been happening, but you can't take your animosity for him out on Stefan. Besides, the first rule of the Hippocratic Oath is, 'Do no harm.' Think about it, Klaus, you'd be harming Stefan by refusing to operate on him. His life depends on this operation."

For a few minutes, there was silence and Elena wondered if Klaus had hung up on her as she was explaining the situation. However, she heard him breathing on the other end, indicating that he was still there.

"I'll have to go to the hospital personally and look at him."

Elena's heart skipped several beats when she heard this. "Does that mean you'll do it?"

"What choice do I have?" said Klaus. "If I refused, you can bet I'll catch hell from Caroline for not helping you."

"Thank you, Klaus," said Elena. "I owe you one."

"Don't mention it," said Klaus. "Besides, I'm sure Caroline will no doubt be asking you to be her maid of honor at our wedding."

Elena smiled and hung up before heading into the house, where she heard Damon talking on the phone, no doubt telling Natalia where they were. Deciding that it was rude to eavesdrop, she went to the kitchen to get water for tea.

Damon, in the meantime, continued with his conversation with his sister.

"Talia, please, I'm really not in the mood to be lectured," he said. "I know that I should've told you where I was going, but in case you weren't aware, I was distraught after hearing about Stefan and Elena offered to provide me with a distraction."

"Well, I suppose that was considerate of her," said Natalia. "I'm just concerned about you, that's all, especially after what happened before Stefan was hospitalized. His behavior was indeed out of line."

"_That_, Talia, is no longer an issue," said Damon. "What's more important is that Elena knows a good neurosurgeon who can help us."

"I thought that guy hated you?"

"Elena told me that she'll convince him," said Damon. "If anyone can do this, she can." He sighed. "How's Katherine holding up?"

"Not too good," said Natalia. "She's just as worried about Stefan as we are." She sighed as she added, "Where are you?"

"The lake house that belonged to Elena's family."

"I see," said Natalia. "Well, be safe up there and take all the time you need. Come home only when you're ready."

Damon nodded and hung up before coming into the kitchen and sitting down at the table. Elena brought out two mugs of hot tea for them, placing a mug in front of him before sitting down herself and placing her mug in front of her.

"I hope you don't mind chamomile," she said. "I didn't know what you liked."

"No, chamomile is fine," he replied. "It's perfect for my nerves." He took a careful sip of the liquid in his mug before looking at her. "So, how did you make out with your phone call just now? Were you able to convince your friend's fiance to help my brother?"

"I won't lie to you, Damon, it was a bit of a challenge," said Elena. "But, I was able to get through to him. Of course, he didn't have much of a choice, because if he had refused me, he would've caught hell from Caroline, and she's just as stubborn as I am."

She took a sip from her mug and added, "Speaking of phone calls, how did yours go?"

"It went pretty good," said Damon. "Talia said that it was very considerate of you to want to help me feel better like this." He sighed. "She may have her moments, but my sister is a great woman. She's not just my sister, but she's also my best friend, and not just because we're twins."

Elena smiled slightly as she continued to drink her tea. As she did, she stole glances at Damon. She wasn't sure why, but she felt the sudden urge to kiss him, like she had done at the hospital only a few hours before. Shit, why was this happening, and at such an inappropriate time?

_Oh, just stop fighting it, Elena, _her mind screamed at her. _There's a reason why you wanted to bring Damon here, and it's not because you want to be there for him. You're falling for him, and you're falling hard._

There was another silence as they continued to drink their tea. Then, when they were finished, she stood, took the mugs to the sink, and washed them. As she went about her task, she looked at Damon again, who was silently sitting at the table. She licked her lips at how positively gorgeous he was, finding it impossible to ignore what was happening.

Hot tears stinging her eyes, Elena left the kitchen. Damon, seeing her walk out, got up from the table and followed after her, not sure what had gotten her so upset. He caught up to her when they got to the living room and gently grabbed her arm.

"Elena, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

A sob escaping her throat, she turned to face him. "I don't know why I'm doing this. I'm such an idiot."

"Don't say that," said Damon. "You're not an idiot, far from it. You're doing this because I asked you to help me take my mind off Stefan being in the hospital."

"That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean then?"

"I meant that I'm falling for you, Damon," said Elena. "Seeing you so vulnerable just now made me realize just what a bitch I was for thinking that I could resist you." She sobbed again. "What's worse, this is probably the most inappropriate time to be having these feelings, and..."

Damon pulled her into his arms, running his fingers through her hair. After a few minutes, Elena stepped back, looked into his eyes for a moment, and kissed him, nibbling on his bottom lip. Damon returned the kiss, nibbling her bottom lip as well and wiping her leftover tears away. As they continued to kiss, he felt the heat rising between them, a heat that had been fermenting for the past month since the encounter in the study.

Pulling back slightly, he whispered against her lips, "Are you sure this is what you want? There will be no turning back once we get started."

Elena nodded and whispered back, "I'm positive. I don't give a shit about anything right now, I just want you." She then jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. "Let's go upstairs. I don't want to give the poor animals a show."

Damon smiled and carried her upstairs to the master bedroom, kicking the door shut with his foot and kissing her hotly. Elena returned his kiss as she climbed down, undoing the buttons on his shirt, her fingers making contact with his bare chest as she went about her task. Damon groaned as he felt her touching him and once she had gotten his shirt off, he removed her jacket and pulled her camisole up over her head, after which he undid the clasps of her bra, leaving her lips to kiss her breasts once they were released.

Elena arched her back and let out a scream of pleasure as she felt his hot breath on her skin. She couldn't believe just how many fantasies she had over the past month about this, and tonight, her every fantasy was about to come true.

Damon felt himself getting hard as he heard her scream and led her over to the bed, where he laid her down gently, taking her wrists and holding up over her head with one hand while removing her pants and panties with the other, kissing her throat and feeling her shiver. Once he got her panties off, he gently pushed her legs apart and stuck his fingers into her clit to heighten her pleasure.

Elena panted and screamed again as she felt what he was doing. This man was incredible, and she felt like putty in his hands. She wondered how she managed to keep an Adonis like Damon at arm's length for this long. He was the perfect lover, so gentle with his touches and his kisses were hot and delicious, like freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

"You like that, Elena?"

His velvety voice brought her out of her reverie, but instead of giving him a verbal reply, she simply nodded her head. Smiling at her nonverbal response, Damon removed his fingers from her clit, licking her sweet juices with his tongue, a shiver going up his spine. "Oh, _amore mia_, you're soaked. You're ready for me, more than ready."

That being said, he released her wrists long enough to remove his pants and boxers, climbing on top of her and driving his throbbing cock into her core, letting out a groan as he felt how hot and tight she was, marveling at how good a fit he was in her. Thrusting hard and fast into her, he held her wrists over her head again, kissing her passionately and hungrily. Elena returned his kiss and gyrated her hips in time with his movements. As they continued their dance, Damon broke through her hymen, taking her virginity. He then slowed down a bit and looked at her, his blue eyes glazed over with lust and love.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Elena shook her head. "No, Damon, you didn't hurt me. It was uncomfortable because I was my first time, but the discomfort subsided and I felt nothing but pleasure." She kissed him and nibbled on his bottom lip again. "I want to touch you, Damon. Could you please let go of my wrists?"

Nodding, Damon released her wrists again, allowing Elena to caress his chest and resuming the speed of his thrusts before he had taken her virginity. Getting an idea, he pulled out of her and rolled her onto her belly, thrusting into her from behind. Elena grasped onto the sheets and screamed as she felt what he was doing. Shit, the things this man could do to her body. He was a regular sex god in human flesh, that was sure.

_2 Hours Later..._

Damon held Elena close as they snuggled under the sheets. They had just spent the last two hours in a state of ecstasy and it was the best two hours of their lives. Elena was definitely going to be sore in the morning, but all that was trivial compared to what went down between her and Damon.

Sighing, she said, "That was amazing." She looked at Damon. "_You_ were amazing."

Damon smiled and kissed her forehead. "I don't want to take all the credit, Elena. You were pretty amazing yourself."

Elena returned his smile and her smile quickly faded. "Shit."

"What? What's the matter?"

"The merger. It's going to be finalized in another five months and we'll have to go our separate ways," said Elena. "Damon, I don't want to lose you, not when I realized just how deeply I feel about you."

"You won't lose me," said Damon. "In fact, I don't give a shit about the stupid merger."

Elena shook her head. "Damon, please, don't try to make me feel better."

"I mean it," said Damon. "Elena, we can make this work. I don't want to _pretend_ to be married to you. No, I want to be married to you for _real_. I've wanted it since our kiss in my study last month. Hell, I even wanted it since you started living at the Salvatore mansion." He gently lifted her chin. "I'll figure out a way to keep you with me, you have my word."

Elena said nothing to that, just looked into his eyes. She hoped that he was right, because she didn't want to be without him.

_**Note: Pretty big update, huh? I had a lot to cover. Enjoy the Delena smut and stay tuned for the next chapter!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Marriage of Inconvenience," Elena and Damon go to the Gilbert family lake house, where they consummate their union and when Elena expresses concern about the merger, Damon tells her that he will do whatever it takes to keep her.**_

_**Thank you for the wonderful reviews so far! You guys are amazing!**_

_Gilbert Lake House – Early the Next Day..._

Damon held Elena close to him, watching her sleep. He had been struggling with sleep all night, mostly because he wanted to keep Elena so desperately. He loved her, he knew that now, and he didn't give a shit about the merger between Salvatore Industries and Gilbert Pharmaceuticals. This was something much deeper than that, and if he wanted to pull this off, he would have to get started now. After all, Elena got Klaus to do the surgery to save Stefan, so he owed her. In fact, he owed her more than she could ever know.

Making up his mind, Damon slowly and gently pulled out their embrace and got out of bed, looking for his cell phone. He found it among the discarded clothes that were strewn about. Damon inhaled the sweet smell of Elena's perfume and it made his cock spring to life. Looking toward the bed, he saw that she was still asleep. Seriously? He was all aroused and she wasn't even awake? Oh well, there was always next time, at least he hoped so.

Sighing, Damon picked his phone up off the floor and headed into the bathroom for privacy. He then dialed the number belonging to his lawyer, Alaric Saltzman. If anyone could help him, it was Alaric. They had been friends for a long time, and Damon trusted him with his life.

After several rings, Alaric's voice was heard on the other end. "Hello?"

"Ric, it's Damon."

"Damon, it's 5:30 in the morning," said Alaric. "Not to mention it's my day off. What's so important that you called me on my day off?"

"I need you to do me a favor," said Damon. "See, my company is merging with Gilbert Pharmaceuticals. In order for that to happen, I had to get married."

"You married Grayson Gilbert? I didn't know he swung that way."

"No, you idiot, and besides, Grayson Gilbert died last year," said Damon. "His daughter, Elena, inherited the company. _She's_ the one I married."

"Oh, yeah, that's right, I almost forgot about that," said Alaric. "And what did you plan on doing about the merger?"

"I want to change the contract," said Damon. "Elena and I...well, we consummated the union, and we want to remain married. Not as a business deal, but really married." He sighed. "Ric, I'm desperate, and I promised Elena I'd do anything to keep her. She's more important to me than the damn merger between our companies."

At first, there was a silence on the other end when Damon finished speaking. He got nervous, thinking that Alaric had hung up on him. His fears were unfounded, however, when he heard the other man still breathing on the other end.

"I'll see what I can do, Damon," he said. "It sounds to me like you care about Elena."

"I do," said Damon. "In fact, I more than care about her. I _love_ her."

"Shit, you really are desperate then," said Alaric. "In that case, I won't waste any time. It won't be easy, but..."

"I don't give a shit if it's easy or hard, Ric," said Damon. "Just get your ass out of bed and get started. The sooner I make the changes to the contract, the better. Bad enough my brother just got hospitalized with a brain aneurysm, but I refuse to let a piece of paper come between me and the woman I love."

With that, Damon hung up the phone and ran a hand through his hair. He was putting a lot of faith in Alaric to help him change the contract, and he hoped that it was going to work. Suddenly, he heard a soft moan and turned around to see Elena waking up. Damon forced a smile, marveling at just how beautiful she looked, even if her hair was a bit messed up.

"I'm sorry I woke you," he said. "I had to make a phone call."

Elena shook her head. "It's okay, I understand." Curiously, she added, "Who did you call, if you don't mind me asking?"

"My lawyer, Alaric Saltzman," said Damon. "I explained the situation to him and he's going to work on getting the contract changed so that we can still be married, even after the merger is finalized." He approached the bed and climbed in with her, taking her in his arms and kissing her. "I love you, Elena."

Elena returned his kiss. "You really don't have to say it. You proved it when we made love earlier."

"I _wanted_ to say it," said Damon. "It's the truth. I really do love you."

Elena smiled. "When did you know you were in love with me?"

Damon kissed her again. "Honestly? I knew I was in love with you when you comforted me in the hospital. Oh, who am I kidding? I knew I was in love with you after we kissed in my study last month."

Elena laughed and sighed. "Well, regardless of when you knew, I'm glad that you're willing to do this for me." She nibbled on his bottom lip. "Oh, Damon, can you ever forgive me for the way I treated you in the beginning? I really didn't mean all of those horrible things I said to you."

"You don't have to apologize, _amore mia_," said Damon, nibbling on her bottom lip. "It's in the past."

"I just feel so bad."

Damon pulled away and lifted her chin. "Elena, it's okay. Besides, I think it's safe to say that I've more than forgiven you for that in this bed." He kissed her again. "How about we try and get some sleep, huh? It's been a long night for both of us." He kissed her neck. "I want to hold you close to me and feel your warmth."

Elena shivered as she felt his lips on her neck. "I'd like that."

Damon smiled and kissed her neck one more time, then nuzzled it as he cuddled up with her, slowly drifting off to sleep. Elena kissed his forehead and and closed her eyes.

_**Note: Better late than never, huh? Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Marriage of Inconvenience," a desperate Damon calls up his lawyer, Alaric Saltzman, asking him to change the terms of the contract so that he can still be with Elena once the merger between Salvatore Industries and Gilbert Pharmaceuticals is finalized.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews, guys, as well as your patience. Updates on this story haven't been easy, what with the frustration with making my ideas stick. Anyway, here's another shot at updating this bad boy.**_

_Gilbert Lake House – Next Evening..._

Damon looked in the mirror as he got dressed. He hated to leave the serenity of this beautiful house, but he wanted to go to the hospital and visit Stefan. He also hoped that Klaus was going to be there so he could hear what he had to say before performing the operation. In addition to that, he thought about his phone call with Alaric. Suppose he couldn't change the contract? What if he lost Elena forever?

_No, Damon, don't you dare think like that,_ his mind scolded him. _Ric will come through. He's never failed you before. The contract will changed, and you'll have your beloved Elena by your side, and even have children with her._

Damon smiled as he completed that thought. He could just imagine Elena pregnant. She would make an excellent mother, and he didn't care how many children they had, as long as Elena was the mother.

Speaking of Elena, he felt her arms wrap themselves around him then, and her head resting on his shoulder. "What are you thinking about, Damon?"

"Us, mostly," he replied. "We have to count on Ric, we have to. He's the best shot I've got at having you with me forever." He sighed. "I was doing more than thinking about us, I was also imagining you pregnant with my child."

"Really?"

Damon nodded, kissing her softly. "You'd make an excellent mother, _amore mia_."

Elena smiled at that. It didn't surprise her that Damon mentioned that he imagined her pregnant. In fact, she had a dream about them having a house full of children, starting with a set of twins, a blue-eyed little girl and a brown-eyed little boy.

"Maybe we can make those thoughts a reality once Ric changes the contract."

"I'd like that," said Damon. "No sense wasting any time." He sighed. "I also hope Klaus won't let you down. After all, he did promise to operate on Stefan."

"Klaus would never let me down," said Elena. "In addition to being a Gilbert Pharmaceuticals client, he's also a good friend of my family. I know that things aren't exactly warm and fuzzy between you two, but he said he'd do this as a favor to me."

Damon nodded and kissed her again. God, he was loving her more and more with every minute that flew by. If they didn't have to go to the hospital, he'd rip her clothes off and make love to her again and again, but he couldn't disappoint Natalia and Stefan. Besides, there would be plenty of opportunities to be with Elena later.

"Come on, let's get to the hospital before visiting hours are over."

Elena nodded. "Right."

Damon took her hand and they walked out of the room and out of the house. Once they got to the car, Elena got in on the driver's side and Damon on the passenger side, and they drove off toward the hospital.

_Mystic Falls Medical Center – Half an Hour Later..._

Upon arriving at the hospital, Damon and Elena proceeded toward Stefan's room, hand in hand. Elena noticed that Damon was nervous as they walked, and for various reasons. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze to let him know that she wasn't going to leave his side for anything. Damon looked at her and smiled. It relieved his mind to know that he had her there to comfort him.

It wasn't long until they arrived at Stefan's room, where they saw Stefan was sitting up in his bed. Alongside him was Katherine, and Natalia was on the other side. However, they didn't see Klaus yet. Where was he?

Stefan smiled weakly when he saw them. "Hey, you two."

Damon nodded. "How are you feeling, Stef?"

"Still a little weak, but otherwise, I'm okay," said Stefan. "Talia told me that you and Elena went up to her family's lake house."

Elena nodded as well. "I, uh, wanted to help him take his mind off of what was going on, and the best place I could think to go was my family's lake house. It hasn't been used in a long time, and I figured it was the perfect place to go and relax." _In a matter of speaking,_ her thoughts added.

Natalia was about to say something when a man walked into the room shortly after Damon and Elena did. The minute he entered the room, she recognized him.

"Dr. Mikaelson, I presume?"

Klaus eyed her curiously. "Yes, but please, I prefer Klaus. I'm here because Elena Gilbert called me and asked me for a favor." He nodded toward Stefan. "And that is to perform the surgery that can save this young man's life."

No sooner did Klaus say this than he noticed Katherine sitting at Stefan's bedside and then looked over at Elena. He felt like his eyes were playing tricks on him. How could two women look exactly alike? This was just too weird.

"He's not lying," said Elena. "I did call him and ask him to operate on Stefan. The doctor from last night said that Stefan needed an operation and Klaus is one of the best neurosurgeons I know. I wouldn't have called him if I didn't think he was qualified for this."

Katherine gently squeezed Stefan's hand, her heart pounding. She hoped that this man could save her beloved. "We'll be so grateful if you did this, Dr. Mikaelson. I mean, Klaus. Stefan is very dear to me and I'd hate to lose him."

Klaus blinked and looked at Elena. "Who is she? And why do you two look alike?"

"Her name is Katherine Pierce, and she's Stefan's girlfriend," she replied. "As far as how we look alike, I really don't know. I'm just as baffled as you are."

Klaus nodded, deciding to take her word for it. "Well, regardless, I am going to be performing the surgery. I had the opportunity to look at the MRI that was taken just before Stefan was admitted. Now, I've dealt with these kinds of procedures before, and this should be no problem at all."

Natalia nodded. "When is going to happen?"

"Tonight, if possible," said Klaus. "I don't want to waste even a moment. Not when your brother's life depends on it." He cleared his throat. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get into my scrubs. And they'll be coming to wheel Stefan to the OR shortly."

That being said, he walked out of the room. Elena smiled, knowing that she had done a good thing. Stefan was going to be able to live his life as though the aneurysm never occurred.

_**Note: Better late than never, right? Have no fear, the operation will take place next chapter. For now, enjoy what is here. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Marriage of Inconvenience," Damon and Elena leave the lake house and go to the hospital to see Stefan.**_

_**Thank you for the great reviews so far! You guys are amazing! **_

_Mystic Falls Medical Center – Later..._

The hours seemed to tick by slowly as everyone waited in the waiting room. Stefan's surgery had begun shortly after Klaus' arrival, and with each passing second, there came unspeakable worry and fear. Elena definitely felt it from her chair. She had faith in Klaus to do what he had to do, but at the same time, she couldn't help but worry.

She was so deep in thought that she didn't even realize that she wasn't the only one in the room until she felt Damon gently squeezing her hand, startling her out of her reverie.

"I'm sorry, love," he said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Elena forced a smile as she looked at him. "It's okay, Damon, I'm just thinking. You know, not only about getting the contract changed so that we can still be together, but also about Stefan. I mean, Klaus is good at what he does, but he told me once that he lost a patient on the table and..."

Damon then pulled her into his lap. "Honey, calm down. Stefan is a fighter, he'll make it through this. Despite all of his medical problems, there is a part of him that is strong, and I believe that will get him through the operation."

Elena said nothing, just nodded and rested her head against his chest. He smelled so good and she was finding it hard to resist the temptation to take him to an empty room and make love to him. Instead, she opted to gently kiss his neck. Damon smiled as he felt what she was doing, and knew the reason behind it. She was tempted to find an empty room so that they could make love, but was trying to resist the urge.

Pulling away from his neck for the moment, Elena looked over at Katherine, who was sitting in the chair across from them, a cup of coffee in her hand and trying to remain calm. "Damon, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, ask away."

"It's about Katherine," said Elena. "How is it that we look alike? I noticed it when I met her last night. Is there a reason we look alike, or is it just a coincidence?"

"To be honest, I really don't know," said Damon. "It's probably just a coincidence that you and Katherine look alike." He gave her a curious look. "You're trying to distract yourself from what's going on, aren't you?"

"It's that obvious, huh?"

"A little, yes," said Damon. "But, at the same time, I really don't blame you. I mean, I could use a little distraction myself." He smirked. "You know, I'll bet if we look hard enough, we could find an empty room."

Elena blinked. "Damon Salvatore, how could you think about sex at a time like this?"

"I could tell from the way you were kissing my neck earlier that you were fighting the temptation to take me to an empty room and make love to me," said Damon. "I just thought maybe I could take you up on your offer. We probably won't be hearing about Stefan for a few hours yet, and I don't know about you, but I'm going to go nuts having to wait that long."

Elena smiled. "You know what? Since everyone seems to be occupied at the moment, let's sneak away. If we leave now, I'm sure we'll be back in time for Klaus to tell us how Stefan's surgery went."

"I like the way you think, _amore mia_," said Damon. "I doubt they'll miss us."

Elena got up off his lap and when Damon stood up, she took his hand and they went in search of an empty room. They searched the entire hall until they finally came upon one that was completely empty, which meant the patients that had occupied the room had either been moved or they died. That, of course, was of no consequence to Damon and Elena. The only thing they were really concerned about was being together in the solitude of this very room.

Once they were inside, Damon shut the door while Elena got up onto the bed, taking off her jacket and throwing it onto the floor. Damon then drew the privacy curtain around them to make it even more romantic and private for them before removing his jacket and shirt.

Elena smiled. "We are going to get into so much trouble for this."

"I know, but for now, I don't want to think about it," said Damon. "Right now, I just want you."

Not giving her a chance to reply, he climbed into the bed with her and pulled her close to him, kissing her passionately, running his hands up and down her body, removing her camisole top and undoing the clasps of her bra, gently caressing her breasts and kissing them, licking the tender nipples with his tongue. Elena arched her back and let out a scream of passion as she felt what he was doing to her. Oh God, how she loved him, she knew that now.

Damon moved back up and kissed her, nibbling on her bottom lip, feeling himself getting hard to the point of pain. Elena undid the button and zipper of his pants, pulling them down, feeling his hard erection against her hand. Damon undid the button and zipper of her pants, pulling them down along with her panties and drove himself into her, groaning against her mouth. Damn it, she was definitely eager for him to be in her, which was okay by him because he was just as eager.

Leaving her lips, he trailed his kisses down to her neck, nibbling her skin with his teeth. "I love you, Elena."

Elena panted at his words. "I love you too, Damon."

Damon was about to respond when he felt himself getting close to the edge and pulled away from her neck to let out a pleasurable scream, Elena following half a beat later. The temperature in the room seemed to increase by about ten, twenty degrees, but neither of them cared.

Calming himself down, Damon said, "Run away with me, Elena."

Elena blinked. "What did you say?"

"Run away with me," said Damon. "I don't give a shit about the stupid contract. You're the only thing that matters to me."

"Damon, think about what you're saying," said Elena. "You only want to run away because we're in the heat of the moment and you're not thinking clearly."

"No, I mean it," said Damon. "All I want is to be with you."

Elena wanted to say something, but knew that any further protest would fall on deaf ears, so she said nothing and just kissed him, letting the love she had for him envelope them.

_**Note: Yeah, I was bored, so I thought I'd write this. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Marriage of Inconvenience," Damon and Elena sneak off to have a private moment together while waiting for news of Stefan, during which Damon asks Elena to run away with him.**_

_**Thank you for your reviews! You're awesome!**_

_2 Hours Later..._

Elena sighed as she and Damon held each other close under the sheets of the bed. She was still reeling from what Damon had said earlier. Seriously? He wanted her to run away with him? She couldn't understand why he would say it.

_Maybe he thinks that Ric won't be able to change the contract,_ she thought.

Damon noticed that Elena was quiet. "Anything wrong, love? You're awfully quiet."

Elena looked at him, her heart hammering. "I'm just thinking about what you said before. Were you serious when you said you wanted me to run away with you?"

"Of course," said Damon. "I really do want you to run away with me."

"Why?"

"Two reasons," said Damon. "One, I love you more than anything else in the world, including my company. Two, as much as I trust Ric, something tells me that changing the contract is going to be harder than I think."

Elena blinked. "What are we going to do once we run away?"

"Get married again."

Elena said nothing, just considered what he was telling her. She wasn't too far off when she thought that Alaric would have difficulty changing the contract. Then again, leaving town didn't sound like a bad idea. Since Damon had plenty of money, they would probably go somewhere tropical and exotic, such as the Bahamas or even Hawaii.

Damon saw that she was quiet again and said, "Are you sure you're okay, baby?"

Elena nodded. "I'm fine. It's just that before I can give you my answer, I'll need to think about it."

"I did give you a lot to think about, didn't I?" said Damon. "I'm not pressuring you or anything, Elena, take all the time you need before you answer." He kissed her. "When we first went into this, I never expected to fall in love with you, but I did, and I haven't regretted it." He kissed her again. "And I know you haven't regretted falling in love with me."

Elena returned his kisses. "No, I haven't. I must admit, Damon, you really snuck up on me and as much as I tried to resist, you pulled me in." She sighed. "You're quite an amazing man, Damon Salvatore."

Before he could reply, she said, "All right, I'll do it. I'll run away with you."

Damon smiled. "You mean it?"

"Yes, I do," said Elena. "I love you, Damon, and I'd do anything to stay with you." She kissed him again. "So, where should we go?"

"I don't know, maybe Hawaii," said Damon. "I hear it's a great place to get married."

Elena giggled and snuggled against his chest, kissing it softly. "You know, I think we should probably get back so that we can hear how Stefan's surgery went."

The minute she said that, Damon looked at the clock and noticed that it had been exactly two hours since they left the waiting room. His heart pounding, he got out of bed, pulled on his boxers, and scrambled to get the rest of his clothes. As he got his pants on, Damon lost his balance and fell on the floor with a hard thud. Elena saw what happened and immediately went over to him.

"Damon, are you okay?"

Damon groaned. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just landed on my ass. Shit, that didn't tickle."

Elena shook her head. "That's what you get when you rush about and don't pay attention to what you're doing."

Damon, knowing that she was teasing him, playfully rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks, Mom."

Elena laughed at his tone and playfully slapped his arm, got up and pulled on her panties, after which she put on her bra. Damon watched her as she dressed and licked his lips. He was tempted to grab her, throw her onto the bed and make love to her again and again, but discouraged himself, knowing that it wouldn't be fair to everyone if he did.

He slowly got up, zippered his pants, and put on his shirt and jacket. Once he was completely dressed, he watched as Elena finished dressing, captivated by her beauty. After she finished dressing, he went over to her and hugged her from behind, kissing her neck softly, feeling her shiver against him and hearing her giggle.

"Damon, what are you doing?"

"Just being playful," he replied. "The power have you over me is incredible. You have no idea."

Elena smiled. "That's good to know." She felt him kiss her neck again and giggled again. "Damon, seriously, we have to go back to the others."

"I don't want to," said Damon, his voice sounding like he was five years old. "I want to stay here and play with you some more."

"How about I make a deal with you?" said Elena. "We go find out how Stefan's operation went, and after that, we can go to Hawaii, where you can play with me all you want."

Her suggestion brought a smile to Damon's face. He liked that idea very much. He loved her body every bit as much as he loved Elena herself and he enjoyed the feel of it under his hands. He turned her around in his arms and looked into her brown eyes with his blue ones.

"You've got yourself a deal, _amore mia_," he said. "Now, let's go find the others before I change my mind."

Elena smiled and kissed him softly before taking his hand and they walked out of the room, heading toward the waiting room, where they saw Klaus standing there, his scubs covered in blood. They also saw Katherine and Natalia, anxious looks on their faces.

Natalia raised an eyebrow when she saw her brother and Elena. "Where the hell have you two been?"

Damon smirked at her. "That's for me to know and you to dot dot dot."

Natalia rolled her eyes. "Anyway, Klaus is about to tell us about Stefan." She looked at Klaus. "Right?"

Klaus nodded. "Right. Stefan made it through the surgery and there's no reason why he shouldn't make a full recovery."

"That's great," said Damon. "Klaus, I can't thank you enough for what you've done."

Klaus said nothing, just nodded. He then noticed that Damon and Elena were holding hands and looked like they were about to be voted Prom King and Queen. Was he missing something? He thought that they hated each other's guts.

Looking at Elena, he said, "Mind telling me what's going on with you two?"

"Yeah, you two are acting weird," said Natalia. "Why is that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" said Katherine. "They're in love. I noticed it earlier."

"In love?" said Klaus. "But, you two are rivals."

"It wasn't hard, Klaus," said Elena. "I just saw a different side to Damon, and it wasn't long before I fell in love with him."

Smiling, she added, "In fact, we're going to Hawaii to marry again. Damon wanted his lawyer to change the contract so that we can stay together, but we're too impatient to wait until he's able to, so we're leaving town."

Natalia shook her head. Somehow, she knew that this would happen, that her brother would fall in love with Elena, and Elena with Damon. She herself was in love with Elijah, so she should've seen this coming.

Before she could say anything, Caroline was seen coming toward them. Klaus raised an eyebrow when he saw his fiancee, since he wasn't expecting to see her. He thought she was at her mother's, where she said she'd be.

"Caroline, what are you doing here?" he said. "I thought you were going to be at your mother's?"

"My mom got called in to work, so we had to reschedule for another night," said Caroline. "Anyway, I thought I'd stop by and see how the surgery went."

"It was a success," said Klaus. "Stefan will make a full recovery."

Caroline smiled. "That's great." She then noticed that Damon and Elena were holding hands. "What's with you two?" She gasped, since she already knew the answer. "Oh God, I was right, wasn't I? This was going to turn into something you wouldn't be able to stop."

Elena smiled. "Yeah, Caroline, you were right. In fact, Damon and I are going to Hawaii to marry again because we can't wait for his lawyer to change the contract." She then got an idea. "Wait a minute, why not make it a double wedding?"

Caroline smiled again. "That's a great idea. I've always wanted to be married on the beach." She looked at Klaus. "Doesn't that sound like a great idea, Klaus?"

Klaus mused on it for a moment and then said, "Come to think of it, that is a great idea."

Elena looked at Damon. "I know that you wanted this to be just us, but I can't leave Caroline out of it, since she's also getting married. We can still be alone on our wedding night."

"I don't see a problem with it," said Damon. "As long as you're happy, that's all that really matters."

Elena smiled. She was looking forward to this even more now that Caroline and Klaus were going to share their special day with them.

_**Note: Wow, that was quite an update, huh? Anyway, stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW**_

_**Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Marriage of Inconvenience," Elena agrees to go to Hawaii with Damon to get married again, and, after finding out Stefan survived the surgery, the plans for a single wedding turn into plans for a double wedding with Klaus and Caroline.**_

_**Thanks for all your wonderful reviews so far! You guys are awesome!**_

_Honolulu, Hawaii – 2 Weeks Later..._

Elena tried not to look nervous as she gazed into the mirror. She and Damon were getting married, and this time, it wasn't to obtain a business deal. In fact, not only were they getting married, but Klaus and Caroline were as well, so it made things even better for them. In addition, Stefan was strong enough to attend the ceremony, which made Katherine happy.

"You look beautiful, Elena."

Caroline's observation of her gown brought Elena out of her reverie and she looked at the blonde, smiling at _her_ gown as well. "Thanks, Caroline. You look beautiful too."

Caroline smiled. "Thank you." She sighed. "Isn't this great? A double wedding in Hawaii, how awesome!" She then noticed that Elena's smile faded, her own fading out of concern. "What's wrong, Elena? Aren't you happy?"

"Yeah, but I wish Jeremy could be here this time," she replied. "He didn't attend the last one, even though it wasn't a real wedding. Still, it would be nice if I could have my brother here. Damon gets to have Stefan and Natalia here, and Klaus has his family."

"Who says you can't have me here?"

Elena heard a familiar voice and turned to see Jeremy standing there, still in his fatigues. Although she wasn't sure how he was here, it brought a smile to her face and she went over to her brother, hugging him tight.

"Jeremy, oh my God, you're here," she said. "But, how?"

"Damon invited me," said Jeremy. "He said that he knew you'd want me to see you get married, so he made arrangements for me to come to Hawaii."

Elena shook her head. "Well, regardless of how you're here, I'm glad you came. I couldn't imagine my wedding day without my brother to witness it." She stepped back and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Jer."

Jeremy smiled at her. "I love you too, Elena." He looked at Caroline. "Hey, Caroline. Damon told me you were getting married today as well. Congrats."

Caroline smiled. "Thanks, Jeremy. Your country thanks you too."

Jeremy nodded and then looked at his sister again. "Well, I guess I'd better go find my seat."

He went to walk away, but Elena grabbed. "Wait, Jer, don't go yet."

"Don't go yet?" said Jeremy. "Why not?"

Elena smiled. "Don't you want to kiss the bride?"

Jeremy smiled and kissed his sister. "Good luck, Elena. You look beautiful. Damon must be the luckiest son of a bitch in the world to be getting you as his wife."

Elena didn't reply, just smiled and hugged him one time before stepping back and letting him walk out of the room. Caroline smiled at her friend, not only because she got to see her brother, but also because she was actually in love.

_Groom's Dressing Room – That Same Moment..._

Damon checked himself out in the mirror, as well as read over his vows. He wanted everything to be absolutely perfect for today. Klaus, who had finished dressing, watched what Damon was doing and smiled at him.

"A bit of a perfectionist, Damon?"

"You could say that, yes."

"Not to worry, mate, things will go smoothly," said Klaus. "We're getting the most beautiful women in the world as our wives, and your brother is alive thanks to me."

"Actually, it's thanks to Elena," said Damon. "She convinced you to do the surgery." He sighed. "But, I guess it doesn't really matter now. I'm eternally grateful, and I intend to show her the extent of that gratitude tonight, if you catch my drift." He heard his cell phone go off. "Excuse me, Klaus. I need to take this."

Taking his phone out, Damon checked the ID and saw Alaric's number. Shit, now what? Deciding to find out what his lawyer wanted to talk about, he pressed "Send" and brought the phone to his ear.

"What's up, Ric?"

"Where are you? I tried to call you several times."

"I'm here in Hawaii," said Damon. "Elena and I are getting married for real, because we're too impatient for you to change the damn contract." Curiously, he added, "Speaking of, were you able to get it changed?"

"I'm close to it," said Alaric. "Though, you and Elena are doing exactly what I was about to advise you to do."

"You were going to advise me to marry for real?"

"I wouldn't be the badass lawyer that I am if I wasn't," said Alaric. "Now, I won't keep you because I'm sure you're still getting ready. I'll keep you posted on my progress."

Damon nodded and hung up, looking at Klaus, who had been listening in, even he was trying to occupy himself with something else. "That was my lawyer, Alaric Saltzman. He's close to getting the contract changed, but he said that he was going to advise me and Elena to marry for real."

Klaus smiled. "This will no doubt make this day even better for you, won't it?"

"You bet your ass it does." Damon looked at the clock. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get this wedding started."

That being said, he walked out of the room, followed by Klaus. There was a bit of a spring in Damon's step as he walked, and for good reason. He made a mental note to double Alaric's pay when the contract finally got changed. He sure as hell didn't want to live in a world without Elena in it. She was the very essence of his life, he knew that now.

As he approached the altar, Damon smiled at all the decorations. Shit, he was definitely a lucky man, and he only wished that his parents were alive to see this. He saw Jeremy taking his seat in the audience, smiling at that as well. That meant Elena got to reunite with her brother, since he was sure that she had wanted him to be here. Damon then got into position, Klaus doing the same.

Once both men were in position, the music began to play and when they saw their brides approaching them, they were in awe at how beautiful they both looked. Elena was wearing the gown that she had purchased the day before, since the one she wore to the other "wedding" didn't feel quite right. Caroline looked equally as beautiful in her gown. Hell, both women looked like they could rival Miss America.

As soon as both brides joined their grooms, the ceremony began. As the priest who was officiating the ceremony was speaking, the two couples looked at each other, wondering when they'd get to the vows portion, since they had all written vows.

"And now, both of our couples will now say the vows that they have written for each other."

Damon smiled, nodded and looked lovingly at Elena, squeezing her hands. "Elena, I never expected to fall in love with you, but when I did, I couldn't picture my life without you in it. I look at you and I see my future. I see it even now as I stand here before you, and it looks bright. You are my angel, my life, my love, and the best friend I could ask for. I love you more than words can say, and I will devote the rest of my life showing you just how much you mean to me."

Elena found it hard to keep from crying as she listened to Damon's vows, wondering how she could top that. However, she told herself that this wasn't a competition and gave him the same loving expression he had given her.

"Damon, what can I say about the man who taught me that although you can absolutely despise someone in the beginning, it can turn into pure love? I also never expected to fall in love with you, but that night at the lake house was so magical that I couldn't help but allow myself to see just wonderful a man you are. I am proud to stand here before you and truly become your wife. You are my rock, my home, my heart, and above all, you are my soul mate. I love you, Damon, forever and always."

Klaus smiled as he listened to Damon and Elena recite their vows to each other and when the priest looked at him, he nodded and looked at Caroline, his eyes sparkling with love.

"Caroline, you have meant the world to me from the moment we met two years ago, and I can't imagine sharing my life with anyone else but you. Words cannot express how much love I have for you, but in the long run, it doesn't really matter, because I know how much with every day that passes by. You are the air I breathe, the love of my life, and my partner. I am honored to become your husband today, and I will always love and cherish you every day for the rest of our lives."

Caroline, just like Elena, found it hard not to cry as Klaus said his vows. She loved him even more with every word he said. However, she knew that it was turn now, so she took a deep breath as she looked at him.

"These past two years have been quite an adventure for me, an adventure that I'm glad that we're sharing together. As we spent more and more time with each other, I knew that I had found the man that I was going to spend the rest of my life with. Klaus, I love you so much, and I am blessed to stand here before you and become your wife. You are my love, my companion, my champion, my best friend, and, above all, my biggest fan and partner. The future is ours for the taking, and the next adventure awaits us. I can't wait to start it with you."

Once the vows were exchanged, the ceremony continued and, after a seemingly long wait, it was time for the rings. Stefan gave Damon the ring for Elena and Kol gave Klaus the ring for Caroline. The priest then looked at the two men.

"Damon, place the ring on Elena's finger and say, 'With this ring, I thee wed.' Klaus, same goes for you."

Damon nodded and placed the new ring on Elena's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."

Klaus placed the ring on Caroline's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."

Natalia then gave Elena the ring for Damon and Rebekah gave Caroline the ring for Klaus. The priest gave them the same command that he had given the men.

Elena placed the ring on Damon's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."

Caroline placed the ring on Klaus' finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."

The priest nodded and said, "And by the power invested in me by the state of Hawaii, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Damon, Klaus, you may kiss your brides."

Damon didn't have to be told twice and pulled Elena into his arms, kissing her passionately. Klaus watched this, looked at Caroline, and taking her into his arms, kissed her just as passionately as Damon kissed Elena.

_**Note: Better late than never, huh? Well, I had a lot to put in here, including Jeremy's return, which I knew would come at some point. Anyway, I don't know what else to add, so I'll end the chapter here. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "Marriage of Inconvenience," Damon and Elena get married in Hawaii, along with Caroline and Klaus.**_

_**Thank you for the wonderful reviews! You guys are awesome! I know I'm way behind in updating this story (the last update being December 4), but other writings demanded my attention. Anyway, since I'm here, let me update this bad boy. No spoilers, except the action takes place two months later.**_

_**ON WITH THE STORY!**_

_Salvatore Mansion – 2 Months Later..._

Elena coughed as she sat back against the wall in the bathroom, catching her breath. She had just thrown up again and she tried to dismiss it as being linked to her tendency to get painful menstrual cramps. The cramps theory would've been logical, except that Elena was two months late for her period. Could it be that...she was pregnant? It seemed possible, since she and Damon had been very intimate, both before and after the wedding in Hawaii. Of course, the best way to know for sure was a pregnancy test and Elena had bought one the other day while she and Natalia were having a girls' day out together.

Shakily getting to her feet, Elena opened the medicine cabinet and retrieved the box containing the test. She then took a small cup, took a sample of her urine, opened the box, and placed the test into the cup, after which she flushed the toilet and waited for the results. Elena felt her heart hammer as she waited, not sure what the outcome was going to be. She remembered Damon telling her about the fantasy about her being pregnant and wondered if such a fantasy was finally becoming reality.

After a few minutes, Elena took the test out of the cup to see what it said. Sure enough, the result stared her in the face: it was blue. She was pregnant.

"Elena, are you okay?"

Natalia's voice startled her out of her reverie and keeping her eyes on the test strip, she replied, "I...I'm not sure. Talia, could you come in here?"

Natalia walked into the bathroom and went to her sister-in-law's side. "What's going on?"

"You know that I haven't been feeling well lately, right?" said Elena. "I just threw up again and I used the pregnancy test that I bought while we were out the other day." She showed her the test strip. "It's blue. I'm pregnant, Talia."

Natalia blinked as she looked at the test strip and couldn't believe it. Elena was pregnant, which explained why she was sick. "Does Damon know?"

"No, you're the first one I told."

"I think you ought to tell him, especially before you start showing," said Natalia. "This is his baby as well as yours, and he deserves to know about it. You can't keep this from him, Elena. He's going to want to know."

"You're right, I should tell him," said Elena. "When we were at the lake house, we talked about having children after Alaric changed the contract." She gently placed her hand on her belly. "Where is he, Talia? Is he home or did he go to the office?"

"I think he's home," said Natalia. "I could get him for you."

Elena wanted to tell her no, that she would go find him herself, but decided that she needed to have privacy to tell him the news and since the master bedroom was adjacent to the bathroom, they have all the privacy in the world.

"Get him for me, Talia," she said. "I need to tell him in private, and the most private place I can think of is the bedroom."

Natalia nodded. "All right." Before walking away, she took her sister-in-law's hand and said, "Don't be nervous, Elena. Everything will be fine."

Elena nodded and watched the other woman leave the bathroom before heading into the bedroom and sitting on the bed. As she waited for Damon to arrive, she placed her hand on her belly again, a small smile appearing on her face. She was going to have a baby, Damon's baby, and although telling him wasn't going to be easy, she knew that he was going to be just about happy about it as she was.

She was still thinking about how she was going to break the news when the door opened and Damon walked in. Shit, he looked so handsome today in his black turtleneck and dark blue jeans. Truth be told, he looked like he could be a fashion model rather than an executive.

"Talia said you wanted to see me," he said. "Are you okay?"

Elena smiled. "I'm fine." She patted the mattress. "Come here, sit down by me. I need to tell you something." She saw the look on his face and shook her head. "Relax, it's nothing bad. In fact, it's something good."

Damon raised an eyebrow and approached the bed, sitting down next to her. "What did you need to tell me, Elena?"

"Remember when we were at the lake house and you told me the fantasy you had?" said Elena. "The one about me being pregnant?"

Damon nodded. "Of course. We were getting ready to go see Stefan at the hospital when I told you about it." His blue eyes went wide. "Wait, are you telling me that you're..."

Elena smiled and kissed him. "Yes, Damon, I'm pregnant. We're going to have a baby."

Damon blinked. He could hardly believe it. His fantasy was about to come true. He smiled and returned her kiss. "You have no idea how happy this makes me, _amore mia_."

Elena kissed him again. "I'm happy too. This is the third happiest day of my life."

"_Third_ happiest?"

"The first was when you told me you were in love with me," said Elena. "The second was our wedding in Hawaii. Finding out that I'm having our baby is the third happiest day of my life. I love you so much, Damon." She placed his hand on her belly. "_We_ love you, I should say."

Damon smiled and kissed her again. "I love you too." He leaned down and kissed her belly. "That goes double for you, little one."

Elena giggled as she felt him kissing her belly. She couldn't wait to begin making all the preparation for the little Salvatore. Sighing, she said, "Have you spoken to Ric since the wedding?"

Damon looked up at her and nodded. "I did, actually. In fact, I just spoke to him today."

"And?"

"Brace yourself, because you're about to get another set of good news," said Damon. "He was able to change the terms of the contract."

"He was?" said Elena. "Oh, Damon, that's wonderful."

"I knew you'd like it," said Damon. "This means that we'll be together forever." He saw tears flowing down her cheeks and wiped them away with his thumbs. "Honey, don't cry."

"I can't help it, I'm just so happy," said Elena. "That and my hormones are kicking in."

Damon smiled and pulled her to him, kissing her tenderly as he ran his fingers through her hair.

_**Note: Hope this update was worth waiting for, guys. I might do another chapter or two after this one, because I don't want to end before Elena gives birth. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


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